Growing Old

 

 

Isn't that quote amazing? And something got me thinking of that today. A person. A band director. A man dying from cancer. He is 76 years old, and today was the first time I ever met him. Mr. Crew.

 

He walked into the room, and it became silent. Because there was an ancient look in his eyes, an ache, a sigh. And yet he looked so happy. Our teacher looked at him, and tears came to his eyes, "Mr Crew, everybody." He didn't really talk that much, but the music we played was in his narrowed eyes as he thought about it. And in a mellow, warbling voice, he told us what needed to be better. We played it again. It was better. He is the type that demands excellence, but not in a harsh, cruel way. He told us what needed to be done, and it was done. Warmth filled his eyes when he spoke, I could tell. And right before we had to leave for the last period of the day, he decided to talk for a bit. He told us how devastating it was. Having cancer. And how the chemo wiped him out, how we felt he couldn't do anything. And how he missed band and helping out. "It was the worst thing," he said, "I felt awful about not being able to show up as much as I used to." And then he told us about the card he had gotten from us all back in August. He said, "I was awful. But that card...that card gave me the strength to go on..." and in that moment, I think a lot of people got tears in their eyes. The room was silent. It was still. The bell rang, and no one moved. Tears brimmed in eyes. Because here was a man, withering from cancer, and yet going on. Here was a man who received one card in the mail, and with those words, took strength. Here is a man who doesn't let age defy him. And I think that that is beautiful.

 

"Time is a concept that humans created." 

 

 

I couldn't agree more. This man was devastated by cancer, but he didn't become old by it. He accepted it, is fighting it, and I don't know what will be the outcome. I just wanted to share that because it was in my mind, and I couldn't get it out. Life is not fair, but then again, it's life.

 

xoxo,

 

Robin

Romeo and Juliet

It's a tale as old as time. The lovely Juliet--as young and sweet as a rose. Romeo, dashing and daring and loyal to the death. Romeo, torn between two loyalties. Thousands of renditions of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" have been done for centuries. And why not? It's an incredible story, making you cry and cheer and rip your heart out all at once. It's overgeneralized for sure, losing some meaning as time goes on.
Some say it's a sweet story, but to me it's not. It's heart breaking.

Have you seen the latest rendition? It came out last month, but I haven't snagged the time to see it in theaters yet. I'm on the edge of my seat just thinking about it! The soundtrack is phenomenal. (I guess that's the band kid in me speaking...or the music is just so lovely it speaks for its self.) The strings soar. The melody brings on waterworks. It's full of tension and unresolved stories and silencing melodies. And I'm thankful for that. A great soundtrack is just gold. You can almost hear the desperation, the fear, the love... you can almost see that first kiss, and the kiss of death too, all in one song.

What about you? Thoughts? Opinions? Any film score geeks out there like me?

xoxo,

Robin

Edith Head

 

 

 

Edith Head. A costume designer sensation. With impeccable style, an eye for fashion, and a sharp mind, she's easily one of the most poignant and celebrated women of the 20th century. She was a designer favorite among some of the most critically acclaimed actresses of all time--Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn. Even Sophia Loren!

 

And today was her 116th Birthday. Happy Birthday Edith!

 



What makes her such a character is that, in a time when not many women went to college, she graduated from Berkely with  degree in French. So cool! As a fellow Francophile, j'adore this little tidbit of information. She taught French for a year or so before becoming a designer. I've only just heard of her, but what a truly fascinating woman. Isn't her piece of advice grand? Always look your best :) I wish some of the girls at school would remember this when they come in pajamas...or clothes so skimpy it's practically lingerie. Hah!

xoxo,

Robin

It's All Been A Blur

 

 

 

Hello, mes cheries :) (It's French.) I haven't written in months, and feel bad about that, so it's time to get on a role once again! This lack of posting has been due to the almighty Marching Band, totally famous for stealing time, and making sleep the only free time possible! But the season is dwindling to a close (it's concert season now!) which means several things for myself, and for YOU:

 

1) French horn time!

2) Free time!

3) Time to start playing viola again!

 

And last but certainly not least:

4) Time to start posting on this old thing called a blog again.

 

Isn't that photo up top charming? It's the blur of the Big Apple, and not a second stops for anyone there. So maybe that's all high school is. One big apple. I feel I should tell you how it's going. Well, I suppose. It's certainly been busy. I got all A's so far, and my favorite classes happen to be my electives, French III and Band. Band has definitely been a blast. Lots of late nights, good memories, long practices, sweat, frustration, work, and rewards. I had my doubts in the beginning, but I'm glad I stuck with it. It's OODLES OF FUN!! So hopefully I'll be regularly posting, from here on out. We'll keep up with each other. :)

 

xoxo,

 

Robin



 

The World

The world. A beautiful and confusing and brilliant thing. A lot of people think of their town as the world, or their country, but in truth, there is so much that we are oblivious to. The miraculous thing is that some oblivion is held in our own hands! By travelling, the world becomes both bigger and smaller. We are people of the earth, rather than just people of our city. We see more culture, we're aware of more people, music, history, politics, art, religion, education. And the thing is, the thing so many people are unaware of, is that we hold what portion of the world we will see in our own hands.

"There are those who say fate is something beyond our command. That destiny is not our own, but I know better. Our fate lives within us, you only have to be brave enough to see it."

That is a quote from Brave the movie, one of my favorite movies, and I completely agree. The world is not a sugary thing. There is beauty, there is terror. There is misery, there is joy. Like yin and yang, they coexist. To see the beauty of the world, we have to scare ourselves. We have to put ourselves out there, and it is not easy. You will cry, you will feel very much alone, you will have to leave people behind. But it is worth it. Oh, God, is it worth it. 

When you learn a new language, the expanse of The Unknown shrinks considerably. You sing songs in foreign tongue, learn a whole different side of history, and are exposed to so many more people, experiences, and culture. Buy one plain ticket. Take one language class, and work so hard and I promise you will be changed! 

Personally, I long to see the world. I want to study abroad, in high school or college. I want to become fluent in another language. I want to live overseas and explore different cities and countries and regions and the world. Oh, it's wanderlust. It's a passion that will last a life time, and those who have it are extremely lucky people. Where would I be if I didn't want to see the world? 

One place I long to see very much is France. I've read a lot of stories, and I'm on my second year of studying French. I didn't take the language because I needed a credit. I took it because of the beauty, the thrill of when you can speak freely, and the rich culture. Wanderlust. 

Do you long to see the world? Where do you want to go? The hopeful thinking is just part of the adventure, but every adventure is meant to begin, and every adventure has an end for a person. When will your adventure begin?

She Art

Have you ever heard of "She Art"? It's a collage inspired kind of art, mixing motivational words, pretty papers, watercolor art, and whimsical style. It's one of my favorite kind of modern art, and it's so beautiful! These two examples are my favorite. And the beautiful thing is that the illustrations are mostly simple, but so unique. So even if you don't have that artist hand, you can recreate these with much more ease than your ordinary pieces of art. With a few splashes of color, a creative back round, and a few lovely words, you can have your own She Art. Aren't the details surreal? Artists use all kinds of material to create an effortless looking product. What do you think? Are you a She Art fan? Or do you stick to your classic Rembrandt and da Vinci?

Happy Fridays!

Hello, Friends! How has your week been? My week has been very busy. The summer is drawing to a close, and that means high school. In less than a month. I'm nervous and excited, and can't wait until I can see my friends again, and having daily things to accomplish. 

Am I the only one who makes a list of activities I want to do in the summer? Every year I make a list. And I've done most things, some I've skipped. Summers are about relaxation, and we don't get to do every single thing. Yesterday, I got to scratch off something from my list--go to a nearby spring I love. The water was a bit dark from all the rain we've been getting, but oh so chilly and crisp! It's so fun going there, swimming around, lying in the sun, and then grabbing a bite (or two!) of ice cream before heading back home. My brother and I always jump off the high dive there, and what an experience! Lots of people do, but it's so far above the water, staring down can make your stomach swim for those few seconds before you jump. It really goes against the survival instincts to jump from so high off into icy spring water!

I hope your week has been sunny and full of fun!

xoxoxo,

Robin

photo not taken by Robin Bird, but by some source unknown.